Reducing-furnace.



Patented October 20, 19703.

ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM V. FYFE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

asnuolNo-FURN'ACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,018, dated October20, 1903.

Application filed February 15, 1902. Serial No. 94.561. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WALKER FYFE, engineer, a subject of HisBritannie Majesty, and a resident of 13 Stanley Villas,

5 Westberry avenue, Wood Green, London, N.,

England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and inMeans for Converting Metallic Oxids into Metal, (for which I have madeapplication for Letters Patent c in Great Britain, bearing date the 15thday of July, 1901, No. 14,363,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in and in means forconverting metallic oxids into metal, the object being to obtain themetal from the oxids in rapid and comparatively inexpensive manner.

In carrying the invention into practice I provide a furnace of suchconstruction, as hereinafter will be described, as to expose largeportions of oxid under treatment to the direct action of the flames andheat, while maintaining and utilizing to the highest degree thetemperature of the metal while in its melted condition, this beingeffected, first, in the furnace hearth or basin in which the oxids areluxed and roasted and, secondly, in a basin combined with the first,into which secondarypot or basin the metal resultant from the treatmentof the oxids is directly passed and further treated before the heatedgases are allowed to escape into the chimney of the furnace. The oxidsare to be mixed with the necessary fluxes, which are vappropriatelysodium and potassium carbonates and also carbon in a finely-dividedstate, the proportions being determined according to the analyticconstitution of the oxid that has to be treated. I then subject themixture of oxid and flux disposed in the hearth or basin of the furnaceand spread therein to the heat of the furnace, by which the mixture willbe fused, the metal will become molten, and will then run oil' into theadjacent secondary pot or basin, which same is set into the furnacestructure, so that without loss of heat the furnace flame and gases,directed through flues around the said secondary basin or pot, willenable the treatment to be completed in continuous manner without accessof air un til the converted metal is ready to be poured or run oft or istested. The examination of GSb-l-2Na2S-l-K2Sm-l-15CO. Thus the operationfrom the oxid to the star antimony is performed by a single fusion andwith superior results.

In order that the invention may be further Y well ascertained, there areaccompanying this application two sheets of drawings showing aconstruction according to this invention, the same being` referred to byletters in the following more particular description.

AFigure l is a longitudinal sectional View 0f the combined furnace andtreatment-chambers. Fig. 2 is a transverse section; Fig. 3,adiagrammatic plan view of the iiue arrangement and hearth andsecondary-pot setting as combined for the purposes. It is to be observedthat the location of the oxid firsttreatment basin is not specificallydepicted in this view.

Within the furnace structure A and immediately behind the furnace-grateA', I build the basin or oxid-container B with lire-clay, using for theends and sides the right-angled lire clay blocks B', known asseatingblocks, the curved sides of which form the inner side of thebasin, and the interstices of the blocks at the corners of the basin arefinished o and rounded with fire-clay.

In order to facilitate the passage 0f the flames over the oxid containedin the basin B, the upper edges at each end B2 Bs'may be rounded; butthose of the sides are to be left free. (See Fig. 2.)

The roof of the furnace is to be made of curvilinear blocks C, based onthe side walls A (shown particularly in Fig. 2) of the brickwork freebeyond the basin area, so that all repairs of the basin may be madewithout luu disturbing the sides and roof structure. Said blocks C meetover the center and form an arch of great strength and stabilityextending in depth from front to back of the furnace structure.

The supercial area of the oxid-basin is Very great compared with thedepth, so that the flames and gases passing over the front rounded edgeB2 of the basin are brought into contact with a large surface of theoxid and are compelled to traverse the whole extent of the basin inclose proximity to the oxid under treatment, the same being kept stirredfrom time to time as required.

The nre-grate A' and furnace opening and doors at A2 are of normal type,the grate A' being of short depth, but equal in breadth to theoxid-basin B. The discharge of the heat and gases after passing over thebasin B extends along the Whole width at rear Bof the basin and the backwall of the furnace structure, the area of discharge being sufficient toallow the flames and hot gasesafter passing over the oxid to descend byway of the Hueaperture D (see Fig. 3) and traverse the whole length ofthe due D', arranged to one side under the bottom of the oxid-basin andrunning forward toward the front of the furnace structure and thencepast a bafde D2 by Way of D3, past the baffle D4, around and under thesecondary pot or basin E, past the baffle D5, to the egress D, to thedischargeshaft.

The direction of the due to and under the pot E is designed to utilizeto the utmost the process of conversion and preserving the temperatureof the melted metal While the process is being completed. The fines arethus arranged to present the greatest surface of the bottom of the basinB, which is made as thin as is consistent with the necessary greatstrength. To this purpose I form the upper surface of the fine andbottom of the basin of strong fire-tiles B4, supported by and with theiredges meeting on strong nre-bumps B5, resting on the furnace-walls andthe baffles D2 D4. These bumps B5 will form girders across the parts D'D3 of the iiue, so strengthening the bottom of the basin.

The Whole structure will on all sides be finished in substantialbrickwork and the top iiushed in with concrete, a suitable manhole Cbeing left for admitting the charge of oxid and ux.

On one side of the furnace a large opening G, suitably arched withsimilar curved blocks, as C, is provided, giving access to the oxidbasinB for examination, cleaning, and removal of waste products, and thisopening Gr istohbe furnished with a gas-tight door. A tapping-hole ordraw-off duct (indicated at BG, Fig. 2) is provided leading from thebottom of the basin B to serve for the running or tapping off of themelted metal when the proper fusion is effected. Within the gastightdoor of the opening G of the furnace is built in the cast-iron pot E,normally built with fire-clay at a suitable level, so that the moltenmetal from the draw-oft' duct B6 may discharge itself or be dischargedinto the pot E as it is melted or from time to time as may be regulated.The location of this iron pot E affords the largest possible surface tothe heated currents before they are conducted to the chimney. i

Access is provided to the ash-pan and to the iiues under the oXid-basinthrough an arched front H, the flue-walls being provided with ordinaryflue-doors H', whereby any deposits may be removed.

It may here be observed that the object of this invention is to convertoxids of the metals in large quantities to the suppression of cruciblework. From one to five or more hundredweight of stud can be treated atone charge. The whole treatment is carried out in continuous mannerwithout access of air. A slag covering is formed in the first heatingand is not disturbed.

I am aware of the Patent No. 4,936, dated March 15, A. D. 1884, grantedin England to one John Hodgkins for Furnaces for melting metals, andalso of the Patent No. 681,354, dated August 27, A. D. 1901, granted inthe United States to one S. M. Trapp for Ore-reducing furnace, and I donot claim anything in the specifications contained upon which the saidpatents were granted; but

I claim- In means for converting metallic oxids into metal, thecombination of a smelting-hearth, a melting-pot, a connection betweensaid hearth and said pot, and flues whereby the flame and products ofcombustion are led over the smelting-hearth and then under the same andthen under said pot, the melted metal in said pot and said connectionbeing kept out of direct contact with the fiame and products ofcombustion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

` WM. W. FYFE. Witnesses:

WALTER A. BARLow, W. HOWARD BARLOW.

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